The Legend of the Chipotle.

THE LEGEND OF THE CHIPOTLE

It is said that long ago there once was a Jalapeno who lived alone in the fields west of the Rio Grande. The Jalapeno kept to itself, coming into the nearby town for supplies such as herbs and spices, before returning to its resting place. The townsfolk grew curious, none could find its home; rumors of Jalapeno magic and tales of hidden treasures were told. The townsfolk tried to question the Jalapeno, but it would not speak and came into town less and less.

One day a sickness took the town, however the Jalapeno remained unaffected. The people feared a curse upon them, blaming the Jalapeno and seeking vengeance upon it.  As the Jalapeno tried to leave the town, they surrounded it and bound the Jalapeno to a Ribeye steak. Slowly they roasted it over a pit of mesquite embers, till its skin blackened and burned. Not once did it scream nor utter a single sound, that is until it began to blacken, then some say the Jalapeno laughed.

The people say that on that night a curse was truly laid upon the town. The vengeful spirit of the Jalapeno, the natives call a Chipotle, haunts the land.  Any who dare to challenge the spirit of the Chipotle will burn, burn from the inside out.  This, my friends, this is the legend of the Chipotle.

~~~~~

Now the above is a story that my husband Roy made up after he had eaten a roasted jalapeno, called a chipotle, at Tequila's.   He felt it stirring in his stomach and had a deep appreciation for the burn.  More so the next morning when I could hear him singing "Burning Ring of Fire" while in the bathroom.  Enough about that.

Roasting vegetables such as peppers is not difficult; however you can find chipotle in adobo sauce in any international section of a supermarket.

The basic methods are to first make sure the peppers being used are firm to the touch; if soft, they are old. If the stove is gas, turn the burners on low and place the peppers directly on top. Use tongs to turn the peppers as the skin blackens. The peppers can also be blackened on a barbeque grill, or under the broiler. Once blackened on all sides, place the peppers in a paper bag and seal the bag; this will cause a steaming process. Once the peppers are warm to the touch, the skin will easily peel off, and the seeds can be removed. Chop, dice, slice up the peppers for salads, dressings, sauces, or added to a recipe.

Mary Cokenour

Flatbread - New York vs. The Keebler Elves

Flatbread is simply unleavened bread and almost every culture has some type.  Examples of soft flatbread are Pita (Greece, Arabia) and Tortilla (Mexico); crispy would be the Hebrew Matzo; however, it is not unusual to see the soft types baked or fried to compliment a recipe.  Is Flatbread healthier?  While it is less fattening, it contains very little in nutrition value; unless it has been made from a whole grain such as wheat. 

While Flatbreads are often used for sandwich making, baking or frying pieces into "chips" or crackers makes for a tasty and quick snack.  Herbs, spices and cheeses can be incorporated into the dough giving extra flavor for eating alone, or along with a topping (softened cheese, salsa, dips).

New York Flatbreads
Website:http://www.sbamerica.com/NYFlats/NYFlats_Product_line.htm

New York Flatbreads come in many flavors: Sesame Seed, Garlic, Pumpernickel, Everything, Honey Cinnamon and Roasted Vegetable to name a few. They're an all natural ingredient, extra thin and crispy flatbread made from wheat flour. Each flatbread is cholesterol free, 1.5 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs and 50 calories; the size is equal to about 3-4 average boxed crackers.

Eaten alone, these flatbreads are full of flavor. They tend to crack easily if using a spread that is thick such as regular cream cheese, cold butter or cheese spread. Either allow the spread to come to room temperature before using, or use an already cremier version such as dips, whipped cream cheese, whipped butter or one of the softer versions of cheese spreads available in the market.

Town House Flatbread Crips

Website: http://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/home.html

This product is part of the Kelloggs family and made by those little elves that live in a tree, the Keebler Elves. The label on the box is a bit redundant, "Flatbread Crisps Crackers"; yes, flatbread becomes crisp when oven baked and has the consistency of crackers; just like Matzo. These however are denser and harder, so expect your mouth to be doing some exercise when eating them.

Six crackers are cholesterol free, 2 grams of fat,12 grams of carbs and 70 calories; they contain wheat and rice flours, and soy products. There are two flavors available: Italian Herb and Sea Salt-Olive Oil. I tried the Italian Herb - using regular cream cheese, the cracker held together while spreading the cheese; the herb flavor came through strongly and balanced out well with the cream cheese.

Overall I enjoyed both products; determining which to use depends on if I'm looking for thin and crispy, or dense and crunchy; also if I'm using any spreads or dips. Try both and see what fits your taste buds.

Mary Cokenour

PF Chang's Mandarin Style Goes Frozen.

PF Chang's

Website: http://www.pfchangs.com/index.aspx

The first PF Chang's China Bistro opened in 1992 in Scottsdale, Arizona and now has over 200 locations worldwide. In one episode of  "Gene Simmons Family Jewels", his daughter goes on a date to one of the restaurants; which makes me ask, "What makes this restaurant so special, it created meals to sell in the frozen food aisle?" Something tells me it's because it is so popular with celebrities. I've never eaten in one of their locations, but understand that it is Mandarin cuisine which is the Chinese staple for the West coast.

If you've read my blog before, and why shouldn't you have, you know I'm from the East coast, so Cantonese is what I enjoy. Also, that one of my very favorite dishes is Chow Fun (Ho Fun). So when I saw a commercial for PF Chang's new Meals for Two containing noodles, and Chow Fun was one of the noodle dishes; I had to try it. Remember, when I go to Chinese restaurants here in the Southwest and ask for Chow Fun, I usually get a strange look from the waiter, or they serve me lo mein.

Cooking instructions are pretty simple; put all ingredients into a skillet, turn heat to medium-high, cover, stir occasionally, and within eleven minutes your meal will be done. After eleven minutes though, my little nests of noodles were still in a semi-frozen state and no amount of mixing separated them. So the cover was back on again and I gave it another four minutes; the noodles separated and became coated in the sauce.

This meal was called "Pepper Steak with Chow Fun Noodles"; the steak pieces were tender and it was loaded with chopped yellow and red bell peppers and onions. The sauce was dark, rich and a surprising medium spice heat which you don't expect in pepper steak. The noodles were a little disappointing; they took longer to cook than the directions called for and they were chewy. However, it was the closest to Chow Fun that I have had out here.

PF Chang's frozen meals run from $6.99 to $9.99 depending on the store you buy it from. Would I buy this meal again? The answer is yes, this is one product I'm willing to give a second chance to. Since I know what to expect when cooking it, I'll adjust the cooking time further to make sure the noodles come out better.

Mary Cokenour

Not All Chili Sauce is Red.

You've seen the Heinz Chili Sauce bottle in the condiment aisle of every supermarket; it might even be a staple in your own home cooking. Its base ingredient is tomatoes and the thickness of the sauce makes it a good enhancement for soups, stews, barbeque sauces and marinades.

However, when dealing with Asian cuisine, tomatoes are not high on the list of ingredients, if at all. The sauces tend to be thin to medium thickness and colors range from yellowish to a deep brown. Seeing many of the ingredients such as garlic and hot peppers lets one know what may be in store for the taste buds.

Thai Chili Sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used for dipping cooked foods into or as a marinade before cooking, mainly grilling. It awakens four tastes within the mouth: sweet, sour, spicy and salty; basically enhancing a food four ways.

Thai Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar (if not available, use white wine vinegar)
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup fish sauce (if not available, use light soy sauce)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced garlic
dried hot pepper flakes (1 tsp=mild, 2 tsp=medium, 1 Tbsp=hot)
2 Tbsp corn starch

Preparation:

Mix together all ingredients, except corn starch, in a small sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until liquid reduces by half.

Reduce heat to low; whisk in corn starch; continue to cook for 2 minutes to allow sauce to thicken..

Makes about ¾ cup.

When frying foods, use Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) as it holds onto sauces without losing its crunchy texture.

Cut up chicken, pork, vegetables or firm fish like cod or halibut no larger than two inches. Seafood such as shrimp, oysters, clams and scallops can be fried whole.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko
2-3 cups canola or peanut oil for frying
1 lb cut up food items

Preparation:

Prepare dredging station; bowl one is the flour, corn starch and salt; bowl two is the beaten eggs; bowl three is the Panko.

Heat oil on medium-high heat; amount is determined by what kind of pan or skillet being used for frying; oil should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

Dredge food into bowl one, shake off excess before coating with egg; thoroughly coat with Panko. When oil is ready (water drops will sizzle), carefully place 6 to 8 pieces in the oil. Cooking time will depend on what foods are being used; chicken takes about 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all food is cooked.

The fried foods can be served with a bowl of the Thai Chili Sauce on the side and dipped at your leisure.

- OR -

You can dip the food into the sauce and serve it up on pieces of lettuce and make lettuce wraps. By the way, the sauce is so good, you might even consider using it as an Asian style salad dressing.

However you serve it up, you'll make a great impression.

Mary Cokenour

Fattboyz Grillin' kicks out the Old Tymer.

Fattboyz Grillin

733 South Main Street
Blanding, UT, 84511

(435) 678-3777

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fattboyz-Grillin/135856886470228

On December 26, 2011, Fattboyz Grillin officially opened at its new location, the former Old Tymer restaurant. First, let me inform you that while the Old Tymer sign is still displayed outside, that will be taken down in due time. Don't bypass that location any longer for Fattboyz has taken it over and are serving up awesome barbeque.

The interior of the building is still the same decor and that will be changing also. The bar area is still going to be a bar - a dessert bar! Unfortunately, Blanding is a dry town, so alcohol cannot be served, but don't pass Fattboyz over on that account; you want to go there for the food. The majority of the menu items are now housemade due to the fact that a larger kitchen facility is available with the take over of the restaurant.

For an appetizer, we ordered onion rings; now don't go by the photo on the amount served. My friend and I lost our heads and drove into those rings before I could take a photo. Even though the rings are purchased from an outside source, the onions were tender and sweet while the batter was crispy with a slight smoky flavor. They came with the infamous "fry sauce" which is a Utah thing, but the rings were tasty with or without the sauce.

Fattboyz has a different lunch special daily costing around $5.

Saturday's special was a cheeseburger loaded down with veggies and a mountain of fries. My friend had that and ended up wishing for enough room in her stomach to have another. It was that good!

Fattboyz has an extended salad bar with many choices available. Whether you choose the one trip for $5.99 or the all-you-can eat dinner for $9.99; you will not be disappointed by their salad bar. Also, with the sandwich and burger items, the choice is 2 sides or one trip to the salad bar. As much as I like the sides, that salad bar is worth foregoing the fries.

Now as much as I like Reed's barbequed ribs, I believe my new favorite is his BBQ Chicken Sandwich. The sauce is sweet, tangy and smoky; the chicken was not swimming in it, so you could get a full taste of the chicken. I don't know what Reed does to the chicken, but it was tender and juicy and oh so delicious...just looking at the photo is making me start to drool for another one.

When you go to Fattboyz Grillin, expect friendly service and a happy atmosphere. Need a party place for a special event, they can do that for you too. Remember, when you are traveling through Blanding, Utah and feeling hungry, you want to stop at Fattboyz and get your grub on. Ignore that Old Tymer sign, there's a new sheriff cooking inside and his name is Reed Sampson.

Mary Cokenour

UPDATE: Reed Sampson has announced plans to expand to Monticello, Utah by opening up a second Fattboyz Grillin on Center Street, located across from the new Maverik Station. The grand opening is scheduled for March 16, 2012.

Yoplait Light - To Crunch or Not to Crunch.

Yoplait Light with Granola

Website: http://www.yoplait.com/

Yoplait Light is a blended yogurt which averages 100 calories per serving. While there are many fruit flavored yogurts to choose from, there are also enticing names such as Raspberry Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie. Unfortunately, while you may find bits of fruit in these dessert named yogurts, there won't be any bits of the actual cake or pie. While smooth and creamy in texture, lets be honest, yogurt is boring, so Yoplait decided to make it more interesting.

Yoplait Light with Granola comes in two packs of strawberry, cherry, peach or blueberry. Each serving has two parts to it, the lower plastic cup being the yogurt (fruit blend on the bottom with plain yogurt on top of the cup) and a second plastic cup section containing the granola. Just pour the granola into the yogurt section, mix and enjoy a crunchy mouthful of fruity goodness. The calories do jump from the average 100 to 170-190 per serving, as do the carbs from 14-19 grams to a whopping 35 grams

The prices also take a jump; where you could buy two containers of regular strawberry Yoplait Light from 50 to 99 cents each; adding the granola ups the price from $2.50 a package and maybe more.

My overall opinion is, nice concept Yoplait, but the costs doesn't justify the effect. If you need some crunch in your yogurt, save by buying a package of granola and adding a spoonful or two yourself. Worried about the carbs? Crushed peanuts or some type of nut will give you the crunch you want while keeping the carb count down.

Mary Cokenour

Omelet Making 101

Making an omelet can be terrifying at first, but in this case, practice will make perfect, and so will the right tools.   While a skillet will work in a pinch, an omelet/saute pan has sloped sides making it easier for the spatula to work with the egg mixture, and to slide the finished omelet out of the pan.  Having a long, narrow spatula is a blessing as it slides more easily under the cooked egg mixture to help flip over one side and enclose the ingredients without breakage.

When purchasing your pan, look for a 10 inch heavy duty nonstick brand; remember that this will also work for sauteing, not just making omelets. You also don't want to go too large on the pan, as it will be more difficult to work with the egg mixture; more surface to fold will mean more chance of breakage.

When it comes to ingredients for the omelet, the basics are:

3 large eggs
3 tsp cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter for the pan

When it comes to seasonings and herbs, you have the choice of adding them to your egg mixture, or sprinkling them over the mixture once it's in the pan. Ingredients for inside the omelet can be just about anything you would enjoy with eggs; just make sure that meats and vegetables are at room temperature. Nothing worse than having a nice hot omelet loaded with cold ingredients in the center. Cheese should be thinly sliced or shredded to make sure it melts properly as the omelet cooks.

To get started, melt the tablespoon of butter in the pan over medium-high heat. While doing this, whisk together in a small bowl the eggs, water and salt. The butter will foam when first melting, but once it stops pour the eggs into the pan evenly and let them settle in the pan for about a minute. Gently lift an edge, tilt the pan and allow a little egg mixture to flow underneath and repeat this all the way around. Continue this procedure, lifting a little more of the solid egg each time, until all the egg mixture has been incorporated around the pan.  You are basically allowing the omelet to build up.

On one half of the omelet, begin adding your fillings; cheese first, so it can melt; next meat and finish with vegetables. Only do this on one half as you'll be flipping the other side over the ingredients you added into the pan. Let the omelet sit for two minutes, now gently slide your spatula under the egg only side of the pan and quickly flip it over the filling side. Don't think about it, just do it; otherwise you are giving the omelet a chance to break where the spatula is not holding it.

The above photo is of a Chili Cheese Omelet I made for my hubby. I had about 1 1/2 cups of my Sirloin Beef Chili left over and a cup of shredded Mexican mix cheese. Inside the omelet, I spread 3/4 cup of the cheese and then one cup of the chili over that. After flipping over the egg only side, I spread the remaining cheese and poured over the remaining half cup of chili. Not a bite was left on his plate.

So be a little adventurous and make that omelet you're craving; it might be messy at first, but it'll still taste yummy.

Mary Cokenour